Essex drug dealers jailed for Dwayne Forrester manslaughter

Dwayne Forrester's family have described him as a "sweet, loving boy" who "loved to laugh"

Two drug dealers who admitted killing a 21-year-old man who was "muscling in on their customers" have been jailed for 11 years each for manslaughter.

Dwayne Forrester died from a single stab wound to the chest in Basildon, Essex, on 7 July 2018.

Hayden Line, 25, and Jeffrey Goodwin, 26, from east London, denied murder but admitted manslaughter on Wednesday, the third day of their trial.

They were jailed at Basildon Crown Court.

During their trial, the court heard the defendants were "angered by the deceased who had started selling drugs on their patch, muscling in on their customers".

The court was told Hayden Line, 25, inflicted the fatal wound on Mr Forrester

Jeffrey Goodwin, 26, was jailed for 11 years after admitting the manslaughter of Mr Forrester

The jury was told Line inflicted the fatal wound at about 20:40 BST in Little Garth, Pitsea, but that Goodwin "shared Line's intention" to cause him serious harm.

Mr Forrester was pronounced dead at hospital, with a cause of death recorded as a "stab wound to the aorta".

Essex Police said in the hours leading up to the attack CCTV showed both Goodwin and Line in the area, while a witness described how Goodwin had threatened Mr Forrester for selling drugs on his patch.

Line, of Esmond Close, Rainham, and Goodwin, of Russell Road, Canning Town were both arrested in January 2019 on suspicion of murder and manslaughter and later charged.

Having denied murder, they later admitted manslaughter, which was accepted by prosecutors.

A member of the public attempted CPR where Dwayne Forrester was found in Pitsea

Following sentencing, senior investigating officer, Det Ch Insp Julie Gowen, said: "Today is about securing justice for Dwayne's family, who have carried themselves with incredible dignity throughout our investigation.

"They knew we were never giving up.

"They knew we were determined to find and convict Dwayne's killers and today marks the culmination of that work."

Mr Forrester's family previously described him as a "sweet, loving boy" who "loved to laugh".

Det Ch Insp Gowen added: "Today's outcome will not bring Dwayne back.

"His family have been left without a son and a brother and nothing we have secured today will change that.

"But I hope that at the very least they take some comfort knowing the men responsible for his death are now in prison serving an appropriate sentence."